Representational Image (Thinkstock)
The first postal Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh was opened at the General Post Office (GPO) in Chandigarh on Friday.
"The ATM will fulfill the long pending demand of the public for ATMs in post offices. A total of 26 ATMs would be made operational in Punjab and Chandigarh this financial year," Director Postal Services (Headquarters) Punjab and Chandigarh, Manisha Bansal Badal said after inaugurating the ATM.
"The second postal ATM would be made operational in Amritsar GPO by the end of this month," she said.
The sector 19 post office in Chandigarh will have the second ATM, she said, adding that the "ATM facility will be available at other head post offices or post offices including Ropar, Ludhiana, Model Town, Ludhiana, Khanna, Jagraon, Patiala, Rajpura, Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Golden Temple, Bathinda, Faridkot, Moga, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Batala, Hoshiarpur, Dasuya, Jalandhar City, Jalandhar Cantt, Nawan Shahar, Kapurthala, and Phagwara."
As many as 50 ATM cards have been issued by GPO Chandigarh and this facility could be availed by all the customers of post offices having core banking facility, Ms Badal said.
She said that more than 85,000 Sukanya Samridhi Accounts have been opened in Punjab Circle till date as a part of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign.
Girls born on or after December 3, 2003 are eligible for opening accounts under Sukanya Samridhi Yojana up to December 1, 2015.
"With the launch of the postal ATM in the city today, customers will get all the facilities available in core banking like cash withdrawal, mini statement, fast cash, balance enquiry, PIN change, fund transfer within own post office, Saving Accounts and transfer of funds to other accounts of post office," Ms Badal said.
A maximum of Rs 10,000 can be withdrawn at one time, she said, adding that with the launch of the ATM, all modern and core banking facilities have been made available at the post office.